Blood Kin
by Delilah Kelley
Summary: Have you ever wondered about the reasons behind Elwood's being abandoned at a newsstand downtown Chicago on a cold December day ? Here is my personal answer. Check this !


_Disclaimer : I do not own The Blues Brothers or the other characters of the films. But I'm forever thankful to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi for bringing the blues to me, and to John Landis for getting the whole show on the road (literally). No money made on this, except the pleasure of writing it. So no need to sue me – unless I could meet the real Elwood ! ;-))_

_(Jake is in jail, doing time for sticking up the gas station. Set several weeks prior to the 1980 film, most likely in Spring, a bit after Elwood managed to buy the new Bluesmobile at the Mt. Prospect police car auctions. Jake is 31, Elwood is 28 then.)_

♪ ♪ ♪

Elwood had come back from the glue factory. Another boring day. But now it was over. Up to the morning after. He was on his way to his humble hotel room. He was enjoying in anticipation his evening : first a "dinner" made up of his favorite dish – two slices of dry, white toast bread – then listening to the blues on his old record player, sitting on the window edge. Maybe he would even indulge in playing his blues harp after all, imagining he was with his brother Jake, who was still locked up in Joliet.

Elwood came by ol' Lloyd's booth. The old caretaker was deeply absorbed in watching his favorite sports broadcast on his most valuable possession : a small black and white TV set.

"Hi Lloyd. Some mail for me ?" the young man asked.

Without a word, ol' Lloyd handed him out a piece of paper. An envelope. 'Mr Elwood J. Blues, Plymouth Hotel, 22 W. Van Buren Street, Chicago.' Nothing extraordinary. But the stamp of the St. Helen's of the Blessed Shroud Orphanage was showing on the envelope. Elwood sighed. _The Penguin. What does she want this time ?_ Who else could wrote to him anyway ? Jake was not the kind of guy to write letters. He put the envelope inside his jacket.

He decided that the best way to know was to open and read the letter. "Okay, thanks, Lloyd !" he said with a gentle voice. He went up quickly to his room. Once there, he locked himself up, tossed his black hat and black suit jacket on the bed, but kept his shades on.

His stomach was growling now but Elwood took his time to choose the record he would play first thing. He settled for 'Green Onions' – he had always loved that one. Then he began to burn toast for himself. Soon the delicate smell of toasted bread wafted in the small room. Though this may look a very simple task to do, Elwood could be very difficult regarding the choice of bread and the preparation. He had even become an expert at that !

Once the bread was toasted according to his taste, Elwood put the two slices on a plate and sat nearby the window. He had begun to eat when he remembered the letter he had received from the orphanage. He went to retrieve it from inside his jacket and with one bit of toast in one hand, the letter in the other, he sat again nearby the window.

Delicately, Elwood opened it up as if it was something sacred. In a sense, it was. Everything pertaining or coming from the orphanage, was sacred. Heck, this had been their only home, to him and Jake. Though the nuns had not given them everything they needed in terms of love, both Blues brothers had to admit they had been well cared for there. But the orphanage was sacred for two particular reasons : first, without the orphanage, Jake and Elwood would have never met ; second, without the orphanage, they both would have never met Curtis and the blues. Of all reasons, these two explained the brothers' special bond to that place. With time and age, the bond had amplified. The two little orphans had become grown men : they felt very protective and particular about the orphanage.

Elwood began to read the letter. Sister Mary Stigmata's handwriting was clear and firm. Suddenly, he choked on the bit of toasted bread he was chewing. But he went on reading.

_My dear Elwood,_

_As writing is the only way to get to you since you have no phone, I am sending you this letter to ask you to come and see me as soon as you can. I have news about you that cannot wait, so please, I beg you to come to the orphanage. I will tell you everything face to face, the matter thereof being too much long and sensitive to be explained by writing. The only thing I can say is it concerns your blood kin._

_May God bless you, son._

_Sister Mary _

Elwood could not believe what he was reading. He had to read the text another time again, wondering if he was dreaming. _Blood kin ? What does she mean by… blood kin ?_ He read the letter another time. _You dummy, blood kin is blood kin, real family !_ Well, he was not blood-related with Jake but he considered him as his one and only brother. He even considered Curtis as his father, though the janitor was an African-American.

'Green Onions' had stopped for a good while when Elwood snapped from his thoughts. He looked at his watch. Barely 8 pm. His mind was racing fast now. The terms of the letter were still dancing in front of his eyes. He knew then he would not sleep for the rest of the night. He closed his eyes behind his shades and sighed deeply. He was more than intrigued. Suddenly, he knew what he would do.

Elwood made sure that both record player and toaster were switched off. He also put back the record into its pocket and stored it on the shelf where he kept the other blues, rhythm' n' blues and soul records he had. Then he put his jacket and hat on, slid the letter inside the jacket and grabbed the keys of the Bluesmobile. He needed to know. Some kind of powerful urge prompted him to move on. He would go and see the Penguin now.

It was like an itch and it needed to be relieved. Even sexual desire could not match now the intensity of what Elwood could feel at this precise moment. Blood kin. The two words were chanting in his mind – and that was no blues. The young man retrieved the powerful 1974 Dodge Monaco he had acquired two weeks ago at the Mt. Prospect PD auctions. The former police car had good looks and a very good engine, the perfect getaway car, a real good match for the police cars in use in Chicago. A 440 cubic inch displacement motor plant under the hood. Cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. The dream of a car for Elwood. And a good bargain too as they were practically giving them away.

♪ ♪ ♪

Elwood parked in front of the orphanage. He had driven safely though his lead foot was itching him even more than usual. But he did not want to have problems with rollers. Now was not the time, he was a man on a mission.

He entered the orphanage and crossed the hall with his usual long strides. Straight to the Penguin's office upstairs. There used to be times when going to that office would have meant for the two Blues brothers various reprimands, glares and worst of all, a taste of the nun's ruler. Punishment would follow suit immediately. But tonight, Elwood was not even thinking about it. He ran into the stairwell, and rushed to the office door. He stopped in front of the door, time for him to catch his breath and look presentable in front of the nun. He was about to knock on the door when a female voice could be heard.

"Who is it ?"

The young man recognized the voice at once. He sighed. "Elwood."

The door opened and he was greeted by Sister Mary, all dressed up in that black and white nun regalia that had earned her the nickname of 'Penguin'. But this time, a gleam of joy and relief could be read in her clear blue eyes.

"Oh, Elwood !" Surprisingly for the younger Blues, she came to him and pulled him up in an embrace. "You got my letter. I'm so happy to see you, Elwood ! Come and have a seat please." She closed the door behind them.

_What does she want this time ?_ Elwood could not help thinking. "Yep, I got your letter in today's mail."

"I was not sure if you would come, son. I was afraid you may just have discarded it."

Elwood had a small smile. "Your letters are like orders, Sister Mary. We cannot go by them." _Well, I can't. Jake could._ After second thoughts, he was not sure. _What Jake would have_ _done, in my shoes ?_ he wondered.

They both sat down. Fortunately for Elwood, there was a chair left for him. He would not need to sit down in one of these student chairs left over in a corner of the office. He was too tall to get in them and he was a man now, no more a child.

Sister Mary had a serious look on her face now. "Elwood, I asked you to come at once and I thank you for that."

_Okay, cut it short, Penguin. What's that story of blood kin ? I have no blood kin. Even my brother Jake is my adopted brother._ Elwood remained silent. He knew better than interrupting the nun. Instead, he listened to her politely. At the same time, the young man knew he must have had blood kin somewhere. Though his surname was 'Blues', he was not born out of the blue.

"I received some information of the highest importance about you and your… mother."

Elwood swallowed hard. "My… mother ?" He paused. "I always believed I had been found at a newsstand downtown there."

"Oh, that's still true, Elwood. You were only three days old when you were brought here. But have you ever wondered who and why you had been left there ?"

The question took Elwood by surprise. A bad surprise. Not really actually. He had fairly early on gathered that he was a motherless child, but that was a normal condition after all. Other kids in the orphanage were there too for the same reasons as him : no parents.

"No, Sister Mary. I must confess I never… had this kind of questions in my mind," he replied calmly. Besides the care and attention provided by the nuns, there was the love given by Curtis. But most important of all, there was Jake and the blues. What else could he need ? He was a man living on the instant. Once his basic needs were satisfied – music, a powerful car to drive, dry white toast to eat, a bed and a roof, a bit of booze and sex from time to time – he was happy like that.

Sister Mary looked at him, a puzzled look on her face. The young man in front of her wore sunglasses, always. _Difficult to read what he can feel._ It was easier with Jake but Elwood… 'Silent Elwood'… He had not been a difficult child to raise – well, given the circumstances. Jake had been more unruly. But Elwood… He could prove tougher and smarter than his adopted brother. No emotion showed on his handsome face. This blood kin story would prove more uneasy to explain after all.

Sister Mary took something in her drawer and put it on her desk. A brown envelope containing documents. "Here, Elwood, is what I received a few days ago. A woman brought it to me, telling me it concerned a child brought here on December 9th, 1953." She paused to let her words sink in Elwood's mind.

_December 9th… I'm born on December 6th… well, that's what's written on my driving license,_ the young man thought. "Me ?" he asked hesitantly.

Sister Mary nodded. "Yes, Elwood. You. This envelope contains various documents concerning your birth and your mother." She handed the thing for him to see. But Elwood remained motionless.

"Sister, why… now ? More than 28 years later ?" His voice conveyed a blend of sadness and anger.

Sister Mary felt it at once. Long years spent with orphans had taught her to feel this. She had already had cases like that in the orphanage. Parents showing up several years after leaving their kids behind. Or parents having retrieved their rights on their children and picking them up. But to that extent… no, she had to admit that was the first time and it had to fall on one of the Blues brothers. _Well, at least, for Jake, we were sure. His mother died during childbirth._ But for Elwood, things were different.

"Listen, Elwood, I can understand what you feel. But please, take it and have a look."

"No, you can't understand !" Elwood said, rising suddenly from his chair. Anger and pain could be heard clearly in his voice now.

Sister Mary had always considered Elwood as the easiest to master from the two brothers. But now she was contemplating changing her mind. _Though I can't blame his reaction…_

"Sit down, Elwood ! You're not going out of this office till you haven't checked these documents in front of me !" she said firmly, envelope in one hand, ruler in the other.

Elwood blinked behind his shades. Though he was a grown man, the sight and the sound of the ruler were always traumatic for him. He turned his gaze towards the Christ on the cross displayed in the office. _I guess everyone has to carry their crosses one day or so,_ he thought.

"Elwood… son… please, it's really important that you had a look at these documents here. You may regret it for the rest of your days." Her voice had softened.

Elwood wanted to get the hell out of the place. But something in the nun's pleading tone told him that she was right, he had to look at these docs. Getting the hell out of the place would not sort out the problem. It would remain an itch that would need to be scratched. He took the envelope and sat down again. Sister Mary did the same, watching him carefully.

Elwood opened the envelope. It had been sealed but it was not anymore. Most likely, Sister Mary had opened it already. Suddenly, he was afraid of what he could find inside. He closed his eyes and blessed his shades that could hide his emotions in a very convenient way. He took the docs out. But what his eyes would not reveal, his hands did. He was slightly shaking.

The first document he grabbed was a snapshot. There was a young woman on the picture. He looked at her. She bore a striking resemblance with him, especially the mouth design. She also had hair the same color as his, dark hazel. She looked thin in her garments as well. She had a nice smile too. _My… mother ?_ He flipped the photo. Something was written at the back. _Chicago, July 1st, 1952. At the Mayor's garden party._ Elwood realized she was dressed up in the fashion of the times then, but with a sure taste. _My mother… woulda been… upper class ?_ he could not help thinking. _But what happened that she abandoned me ? It ain't like she'd been homeless or whatever. She coulda raised me, she or her family had the means to keep me. _He put the photo on the desk, carefully.

The question had sprung to his mind faster than lightning. It prompted him to plunge his hand in the envelope and dig out another document. This time, it was a piece of paper. A report from the hospital where he was born. Our Lady of the Annunciation Hospital. A complete medical report of the childbirth. He was indeed born on a December 6th, 1953. A healthy baby boy, only a bit taller than usual. _Ain't surprising, I'm 6'1" now._ His mother's condition was mentioned too. The birth had been normal, she was fine. No complications whatsoever. A first child, labor had been lengthy and painful in terms of duration. _Maybe she didn't like me after the pain I put her through,_ Elwood thought a bit naively. He did not realize that women had to go through pain to give birth. That was their portion since the beginning of mankind.

Strangely enough, there was no name displayed on the hospital report. Not the mother's, not the baby's. Elwood felt weird about this detail. He wondered for a second how he would have been called then – had this woman kept him with her. _Whatever happens, I'll stick with 'Elwood'. That's my name !_ Well, he had known no other first name than the one Sister Mary had picked for him. He put the hospital report on Sister Mary's desk, besides the photo.

Once Elwood was done with the hospital document, he digged out another paper. It was a document on City Hall letterhead. Some kind of birth certificate. It was indeed, save that it did not mention any name. Only the date, hour and place of birth. _At least, I'm still born in Chicago._ Elwood was quite proud to be born in the city of the electrified blues he loved so much to sing and play. This was his pride.

Apparently, nothing else was mentioned as to his and his mother's identities. The baby's gender was mentioned to with a capital 'M' for a male child. But nothing regarding names. Now the question was drilling him.

"Sister, there's no name about… me. Are you sure this has something to do with me ?"

Sister Mary had a gleam of warm compassion in her clear eyes. "There's a last document left in the envelope, Elwood. I suggest you should read it."

The young man complied and took out a last document. This time, this was a letter in two parts. He unfolded it and began to read it after glancing at the Penguin from behind his shades. She was watching him patiently, interested in his reactions. She had also a concerned look on her face. She said nothing, respecting this moment of recollection.

_My dear child,_

_I gave you life but I could not give you love. I wanted to but I could not. I just simply could not. Things were too much difficult for me to bear and you looked so much like the man that is your natural father. Maybe if circumstances had been different, I would have surely loved you like any mother. But it was not meant to be. I'm sorry, my child, for not loving you, for abandoning you the way I did, for leaving you in a cold December night, out in the street. Please forgive me. Since that day on, I still live that scene again and again, and regrets and remorse keep tearing my heart out of me. I guess that the cross I have to bear in this world. I would never know who you are and what you do with your life. But I want you to know that I think about you every single day of my miserable life. You are my first and only child. Whoever you are and whatever you do, know that I'm proud of you._

_Godspeed my child. You're in my prayers._

_Your mum, El._

Elwood felt his eyes were welling up. He tried to repress the emotions that were about to overwhelm him and managed to hide his tears. He had felt moved by her words. She was sincere. He had felt weird when reading her signature. 'El'. That was his nickname at the orphanage and within the band.

_Dear Sister Mary Stigmata,_

_I know this letter and the documents attached may cause trouble in your orphanage. But I need to do this. On December 6th, 1953, I gave birth to a little boy anonymously. I wanted to keep him, but the circumstances behind his conception proved too difficult for me to bear and I could not but leaving him. That's why I left him at the newsstand located at the corner of Canal Street and East Cermak Rd. I heard later there was an orphanage for boys in the area – St. Helen of the Blessed Shroud – that you run._

_For years, I kept thinking about that little boy of mine I had left there in a cold December night. I wanted to go and see you but this was still too difficult for me. And I did not want to disturb him anymore. _

_But now, in my present sick condition, I wish to repent and redeem myself by restoring the truth for that little boy that must be a man now. That is why I do ask you a favor from you, dear Sister Mary Stigmata : please could you give these documents to the young man that received life from me – if not love. _

_God is my witness : I wanted to love this child but I just could not. I just simply could not._

_Yours, _

_Eleonore J. Daley_

Elwood gasped when he read the name of the woman. His mother's name. _Daley ? Like… the mayor ?_ "Eleonore J. Daley," he repeated softly. He could understand now her nickname. He realized that by a strange twist of fate, his own first name echoed somewhat that of his natural mother. He raised his gaze to Sister Mary. She was still watching him with compassion. He also knew what had convinced the nun to accept these documents and serve as a go-between. _'Repent and redeem myself' – for sure the Penguin does love these two words. _But at the same time, Elwood felt strange about the letter. The woman seemed sincere and was talking about love. _Why did she abandon me then ? Why ? WHY ?_

Suddenly, the rush for questioning hit Elwood full force. He had not that many questions. But the very few he had required answers. "Sister, who is this Daley woman ? Her family ? She said she's sick. Is she still alive ?" But the most difficult question was to come : "What does she mean by… 'the circumstances behind his conception' ? Who's my father ?" he asked eventually.

Elwood could see that Sister Mary cringed at the question. That was almost imperceptible but he knew her too much for not noticing it. He rose from his chair and put the letter delicately on the desk, besides the other documents. He looked at these bits of personal history – his personal history. "You owe me the truth !" he said slamming his fist on the desk.

Sister Mary did not flinch. "I know, Elwood. But there are things I don't know myself."

"Don't bullshit me !" Elwood shouted, now real angry. Usually he would have already received a blow from the nun's ruler for this language and behavior. But this time, Sister Mary did not even move. "You know more than you want to show !" She was surprised by his outburst of anger – he had always been a nice kid. Jake was unruly. Sister Mary realized this was the first time she saw Elwood being that mad. She could not blame him though.

_No need to make him madder…_ she thought wisely. "Alright, I'll try to answer your questions as much as I can, Elwood. Provided you calm down and sit." Her tone was cool but not wicked.

The young man perceived it and sat down. Or rather, he let himself drop in the chair. Yes, Elwood was angry. But he did not really know the reason why. He should have been happy to find his mother. But he could not make heads or tails of the bits of history displayed in front of him. Though he had never questioned about his natural parents when he was a kid, now he felt cheated by life, cheated by the people around, be they the Penguin, the hospital folks or… his own mother.

Sister Mary took a deep breath. "Elwood… you're right. I've met her already. I've met Ms. Daley. She's living in Chicago, in an institution for seriously sick people. She has only a few weeks to live." She paused. "She's dying, Elwood."

_She's dying…_ the young man thought. _My mother… is dying._

"Ms Eleonore J. Daley belongs to the Daley family that ran Chicago. She's the daughter of the former mayor's younger brother. The Honorable Richard J. Daley. She's his niece."

Elwood could not believe what he had just heard. That would make him a member of one of Chicago's wealthiest family. He who had always lived with so little money ! "You're kidding me, Sister."

"No, I'm not, Elwood. I'm not." Her voice was full of compassion. She could understand the young man's confusion.

"But if they were rich, why couldna they take care of me ? One more kid… couldna make a big difference after all."

Sister Mary sighed. "Elwood… Elwood, son, wealth has nothing to do here. As she wrote, and as she told me, Ms Daley could not keep you with her."

"Why not ?"

Sister Mary sighed. She did not know how to break the truth gently to Elwood, to repeat what his mother had told her. No, she did not know.

"Why not ?" Elwood kept asking. "Am I only an illegitimate child ? A… bastard ?"

Usually that last word only was sufficient to set the ruler into motion. But this time, the ruler remained motionless on the desk. Elwood had spat the word, meaning it. Sister Mary nodded.

"Yes, Elwood. You're born in one of Chicago's most famous families. But you were born out of wedlock. Your father did not marry your mother."

"Who is my father then ?" the young man asked, still angry. As he received no answer, he repeated his question, on an angrier tone. "Who is he ?!"

"Listen, Elwood. What I'm gonna say, I hold it from Ms Daley directly. After all these years, and about to die, she has no reason to lie. She…" Another sigh. "She didn't know who your father was, Elwood."

He had a defiant glare behind his shades. "Bullshit ! Folks of her background don't go around like that, especially girls," he spat scornfully. But it made sense. There was no mention of his father on his birth certificate. He was a ghost child, whose birth had been shrouded in mystery because of the possible scandal and shame to one of the wealthiest and most famous families in Illinois.

Sister Mary knew that she had to tell the truth to Elwood. But the truth was ugly and she was afraid of his possible reaction when he knew it. She made a quick prayer.

"Elwood… That's true she didn't know who your father was. She had never met him before that fatal day in March 1953."

"Fatal ?"

The gleam of compassion shone forth in the nun's eyes. "Yeah. She was walking in the street, on her way to a friend's home when it happened." She swallowed hard.

"Happened what ?"

"Elwood… what I'm gonna say is not that easy for me to say but it will be even less easy for you to hear. Your mother… was raped on her way there. By a man that had just escaped from the state prison. She was in the area. He had taken her hostage first and had a good time with her after. Three weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant with his child. You."

Elwood was stunned by the revelation. He closed his eyes behind his shades. _That's why she couldna love me or keep me…_ he thought bitterly.

"She could not choose to abort. She had decided to keep the baby up to its birth. She told me she had even tried to keep you. But you looked so much like the man that had ruined her life that she could not bear it anymore. So she left you at that newsstand. The rest is history. Know that she never married. He had really ruined her life forever. She was 22 when it happened."

Elwood received the blow full face. He could better understand the terms of the letter she had written to Sister Mary. He was not even a lovechild. He was born out of rape. Somehow, it did not surprise him. He had always felt like this : undesired, unwanted, left over. _Really_ _unwanted !_ Elwood thought. _Shit ! It ruined her life… and mine too !_

"You told me that my father was a convict or whatever," Elwood said after the words had sunken in his mind, that is, after long minutes. "Where was he jailed ?"

"Joliet. He was in Joliet when he escaped the place and met your mother on his way out."

_Now I can understand why I'm something of a jailbird myself,_ Elwood thought. _Oh shit ! I wouldna be surprised if she tells me next that he played the harp in a band._

But Elwood was wrong on this one. Sister Mary said nothing more about his father.

"An escaped convict… Joliet must know who he must have been then," he said.

"Back in 1953, Elwood ? I don't think so. I mean, they don't have the records."

_Next time I'm gonna see Jake there, I'm gonna ask the prison warden. They must know something !_ "Do you think I could… meet my mother ?" Elwood asked with a low voice.

"If you want to, Elwood. But I must check with her first. I'll try to convince her though to accept to meet you. I think that's most important for the both of you."

At this point, Elwood could not resist anymore. He burst out in tears. Sister Mary looked at him with compassion and came to him with a tissue. Like when he was a child. _Poor kid… _

Once he felt better, Elwood took the photo featuring his mother. He looked at her. He found her beautiful. After all, he had a lovely mum. The picture had been taken before… before the rape. Sister Mary took all the papers and gathered everything in the same envelope. She handed the whole stuff to Elwood.

"No, please keep it. It's safer with you here. If I need to get them, I know where I can come and see them. I just wanna keep the photo with me."

"No problem, Elwood. You should take this with you too." She got the letter out and with the ruler, she cut the part of the letter addressed to herself, that she put back in the envelope. She handed the letter addressed to the young man. Elwood took it with him. He put it with the photo inside his jacket.

"I'll contact her to arrange a meeting between the two of you," Sister Mary said gently.

"Thanks, Sister," Elwood replied. Then, without a word, he left the orphanage.

♪ ♪ ♪

Elwood came back to his hotel room. He felt drained by the evening's revelations. Painful revelations. He was born out of rape. _No wonder I can't commit myself with a girl for that long._ But he had never been brutal or pushy with them. On the contrary. Girls tended to consider him as tender, gentle and caring. His shyness was something that they really loved. He could not imagine himself being that brutal with women, even less raping them. _After all, one's not only the sum of one's genes,_ he thought. _Yeah, but because of this man's brutality, you were abandoned and deprived of a family and of a mother's love. Yeah, but you've been brought to this world thanks to this man's brutality._ The very thought made him sick.

Elwood laid himself on his bed, reading the letter his mother had written to him and looking at her picture. Soon tears rolled down his cheeks silently. He was disgusted with himself as if he had committed the crime… raped a woman himself. He also felt abused himself. He did then the only thing that he did in these moments : he picked up his blues harp and began to play something of his own idea, something sad that matched his mood. For long seconds, he even wanted to die, so much he felt sullied and guilty.

_No, I can't die. Jake's gonna have the fits._ He thought about his brother. The image of Jake had the knack of cheering him up. _What would he say about that, huh ? Maybe I'll tell him one day. Maybe… I don't know. _For the time being, Elwood knew he would not talk about this story to Jake. He needed time to assimilate it. He needed some time to heal and overcome the painful truth. After all, he was not responsible for his father's deeds. And yes, he would be curious, if not happy, to meet his mother.

♪ ♪ ♪

Two weeks later, Elwood received a message from Sister Mary. She had called the hotel and left a note to Lloyd. The old man had told Elwood to call back the orphanage as soon as possible. Elwood knew then that the moment approached when he met his mother.

He was right. Sister Mary had arranged a meeting with him and his mother. He went to pick up the nun with the Bluesmobile at the orphanage. They both headed towards the institution where Ms Daley was cared for. Sister Mary was well known there as she met Ms Daley quite often now. They had no difficulties in getting to her room.

The nun could feel how much tense Elwood was. _Normal, who would not be ?_ she thought. _Poor kid… He has been already tried so much in his life._ Elwood was not only nervous but afraid of his mother's reaction when she saw him. After all, he may still look pretty much like his father and she may be still disgusted with him, even after all these years. He was afraid she may reject him like she had done, more than 28 years ago.

They entered a large room, a common room for residents to receive kin and friends in a more comfortable place than their rooms. Instinctively, Sister Mary took Elwood's hand in hers, like when he was a child. He let her do. He did not mind. "There she is, Elwood," she simply whispered while showing a woman sitting in an armchair nearby a window. Only her silhouette could be seen in the distance. "I'm gonna go first, okay ?" the nun said. Elwood nodded in agreement. He wanted to know his mother but he wanted to get the hell out of there at the same time.

He resisted the impulsion to leave and waited for a gesture from Sister Mary. He could see her greeting the woman in the armchair, she was even kissing her on the cheeks. _What am I gonna do when I'm in front of her ?_ he thought.

Sister Mary came back to him. "Elwood, that's okay, you may go and see her." He had a look of panic on his face. "That's okay, Elwood, I'm here with you, don't you worry." For the first time in ages, Elwood was happy to have the Penguin on his side. He slowly went closer to the woman in the armchair. He got closer to her and suddenly, as if she had felt his presence, she turned to him and gave a broad smile. Elwood's heart missed a beat or two. She was not rejecting him !

"Come closer, that I can see you," the woman said with a frail voice.

Elwood obeyed and he stepped forward shyly. His heart was beating wildly. She looked old and sick. He remembered she was dying. But she looked pretty much like on the photo he had. He came closer and knelt down in front of her.

"Come closer, that I can… touch you," the woman said gently.

Elwood got closer to her, very close to her. He could read on her face that she was puzzled by his shades and hat. He removed them both – a very rare gesture of his. He read the surprise on her face. _Oh shit ! Now she can see me right in the face and see I'm my father's spitting image and she's gonna send me packing and…_

"Oh, my son…" the woman said, her voice lost in emotion. "My… adult son… how handsome you are…" She cupped his cheeks with her hands. The touch was soft. Elwood closed his eyes. He let go of his tears. With a sweet gesture, Ms Daley wiped them away. "My son… my adult son…" she kept repeating, pride in her voice. "I'm so happy to see you, to see you are so handsome, so tall, you look so great…"

That proved too much for Elwood. He sobbed like a child – like the child he still was somewhere. Words remained stuck in his throat and all he could do was putting his head on her lap. She caressed his hair tenderly, soothing his pain and relieving him of the pain and guilt he had felt for the burden he had imposed on her by being conceived.

The words managed to find their way out. "I'm so sorry… for what happened to you… I ruined your life… I…"

"El… shhh… El… look at me, El," Ms Daley said softly.

Elwood was surprised to hear his nickname in this woman's mouth. Only his brother Jake and his close friends in the Blues Brothers Band used to call him like that. He looked at her through his tears.

"El… you're in no way responsible for what happened to me more than 28 years ago. Wasn't your fault. You're as innocent as a lamb. Just like I was. My child… We've been both hurt in the process, me because of that rape… you because I did abandon you… I am the one responsible for what happened to you, El, not the reverse. You're only a child. My child…" She paused to caress his hair and his face gingerly. "El, I seek your pardon. I hurt you the worst way a mother can. If I could, I would beg your pardon on my both knees."

She was looking at him with a loving intensity. Of course, his hair were planted on his head the same way than his father's. He was tall and lanky like his father too. Moreover, Elwood had the same colors of eyes as his father's : one eye blue, the other brown, a feature that had scared her when the man had raped her, something she could never forget. And now her son had the same gaze. But she did not mind. "My son… my son…"

Ms Daley took his hands in hers. She read the letters tattooed on the back of the fingers. E-L-W-O-O-D, plus the small cross, nearby the right thumb. "Elwood… I like it very much."

"We have the same nickname. El," Elwood managed to say while getting the letter from his jacket. The woman's face lightened up. He had her letter with him. She caressed his face once more.

_Elwood Daley_, they both thought at the same time.

"Sister Mary told me that your surname is… Blues ?"

Elwood nodded. "Yeah. I chose that name with Jake, my brother. We both chose to be brothers as well."

"She told me that you're a talented musician too. What do you play ?"

"The harp. Blues harp. With my brother Jake, we have a band and we play blues, rhythm'n'blues, soul, this kind of music. He sings and I sing sometimes though I play the harp most of the time."

"I'd love to hear you, Elwood."

The young man cracked a smile. Ms Daley found him even more handsome. Her son was real cute. He got his faithful harp out of the briefcase he was always carrying with him. He got the harp out and began to play a tune. The same tune he had composed once back in his room, that evening he had learnt the truth about his mother and his terrible conception.

"Oh, El, that's great. You're so talented. I'm proud of you !" Ms Daley said. She looked exhausted but happy.

Elwood was happy to make her happy. He was happy to have met her at least once. Before leaving, he kissed her on the cheek and held her hand for long seconds in his.

"Elwood !" Ms Daley said before he released her hand to leave the place. "Elwood… I love you, El… My son, I love you !"

A tear fell from the young man's eyes. "I love you too… Mum…" he said before rushing to her once more for an embrace.

"Oh my son… I love you and I'm proud of you too." They both exchanged a gaze. "Elwood, I want you to remember that you must never, never, never think you've been born because of a horrible event. Rape… is a cruel deed but… you've been brought to existence on purpose. You're here on this earth to do some good around you because you're a good boy. You're a decent man. I'm not talking about your criminal record. I know about that. I'm not here to judge you. I just love you, El, and I want you to know that you don't have to pay for your father's actions, how terrible they might have been. Life is a gift you don't have to pay back. A gift I gave to you."

Elwood had gathered from her words that she knew about his run-ins with the law. _The Penguin must have told her everything._ But her words soothed him like no other words had done before. A mother's words. He felt overwhelmed by her unconditional love. "I love you too, Mum," he simply said before pulling her in an embrace that lasted for long, long seconds.

♪ ♪ ♪

Ms Eleonore Daley died two months later. But before that, Elwood went to see her about twice a week. They both had a lot to catch up. He had understood he was not responsible for his birth or his parents' deeds. When she died, he wept like a child for a whole day. But he felt better because at least, he had met his mother. He went to her funerals, accompanied by Sister Mary who had insisted to come too. A nun was a good caution. The whole Daley family was there ; Elwood and Sister Mary were discreet but they noticed some people were talking with each other about them two because they were glancing in their direction. Elwood could have sworn it : he was sure that his mother's story was known in the family at least. Plus his resemblance with her… no doubts as to whom the young man was. No one approached him though. But he did not care. He had had the love of his real mother for two months and that was something he would treasure for the remaining of his days.

♪ THE END ♪

© Copyright 2007 - Delilah Kelley


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